


Of Letters and Phones

by Servena



Series: How to Save a Life [7]
Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Best Friends, Domestic Fluff, Friendship, Gen, M/M, Missing someone, Smoking, Sunrises, early morning conversations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2020-01-11 02:55:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18421368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Servena/pseuds/Servena
Summary: “Do you miss him?”





	Of Letters and Phones

“Do you miss him?” Gene asks one misty morning as they’re smoking their cigarettes on the back porch, watching the sun rise above the trees.

“Who?” Babe asks, even though there’s really only one person Gene could mean.

Gene blows out the smoke into the cool air and then turns to face him. “Bill.”

Babe shrugs. “A little bit.” He turns his gaze towards the rising sun for a moment, marveling at the colors unfolding in the sky, from a pale pink to a vibrant orange. When he looks back, Gene is still looking at him. “Okay, a lot.” He sighs deeply. “Am I that transparent?”

Gene smiles slightly. “A little bit.”

Babe huffs out a laugh. But really it’s a sore spot, and Gene has a tendency of finding them, not because he wants to hurt him, but because he wants to fix him. He can appreciate that and still admit to himself that it’s a bit unnerving at times.

Gene leans back against the balustrade. “You should write him.”

Babe nods slowly. “I will. I’ve wanted to for quite a while.”

“But?” He doesn’t have to look at Gene to know that he’s raising an eyebrow.

He starts turning his cigarette between his fingers. “I’m afraid he’ll be mad at me. For just leaving without really telling him. I mean, I did tell him where I was going, but I wasn’t planning to…not come back, you know?”

When he glances up, Gene meets his gaze. “Do you regret it?”

“Never” Babe says firmly. “I’ll never regret being here with you.”

Gene turns around so they can lean against each other, forearms resting on the balustrade and shoulders pressed together. Together they watch the sun appear behind the tree tops, and listen as the first birds start singing.

Gene takes a last breath from his cigarette before stubbing it out, prompting Babe to do the same. “You should invite him.”

Babe frowns slightly at the suggestion. “Bill? Here? That would be…weird, I think.”

Gene just looks at him. “Why?”

Babe groans. “I don’t know. I guess because that makes it real, you know? I mean, my Ma almost tore my ears off through the phone when I told her I’m staying, but Bill… I don’t know, I guess I always thought we’d spend more time together after…after.” He rubs a hand over his face. “Sorry, I’m not saying –“

But Gene just shakes his head. “Don’t be sorry. He’s your best friend.”

“Yeah”, Babe says slowly. “Yeah, he is.”

He watches as Gene crouches down for a moment to pull a few dead leaves from one of their potted plants. Even after a serious attempt he has a hard time remembering what they are, but Gene knows each name and at least three ways to use it. It probably shouldn’t be as attractive as he thinks it is.

“Maybe we should get a phone”, Gene says after he gets back up.

Babe looks at him. “Could we do that? I’ve never had a phone before.” Only one family in the street he’d grown up in had a phone, and they owned a corner store.

“Me neither. Probably expensive.” Gene tosses the dead leaves over the balustrade into the garden. “But maybe worth it.”

“Guess I should start looking for a job after all.” He nods to himself, turning the thought over in his head. “Yeah, I think that could work. I’m not so good at writing, you know?”

“Yeah, I noticed.” There’s a slight amount of guilt at the memory of simply showing up on Gene’s doorstep after writing not a single letter, but Gene gives him a smile before he can think about apologizing.

“God, Gene, I can already hear him. ‘Babe, you gotta lot of explainin’ to do.’”, he says, imitating Bill’s broad way of talking.

“Think he’ll judge you?” Gene asks slowly.

Babe tilts his head. “I think he always knew. He’s a lot more perceptive than people give him credit for.” He shivers slightly as a cool breeze ruffles his hair. “But right now I think we should get inside, I’m getting cold.”

“Should’ve taken your jacket”, Gene mumbles.

Babe throws his hands up in frustration. “Yes, I know! God, why are you always right?”

Gene just chuckles and holds the door open for him.

The kitchen is already deliciously warm. Babe settles into a chair close to the burning oven, rubbing his hands while Gene starts making breakfast.

“Gene?” he asks after a bit of thinking.

Gene throws a glance back over his shoulder. “Hmm?”

“How expensive, do you think?”

Gene just smiles at that. “We’ll manage.”


End file.
